Cadillac Records, possibly another shot at movie fame for Beyonce Knowles, is slated to be released on December 5th, 2008. Yes, this is me being cynical (that must come as a huge shock). Beyonce did a great job in Dreamgirls (but Jennifer Hudson did better as evident by her Academy Award), but can she really play the incomparable Etta James? This isn't just some carbon copy of Diana Ross (or actually, a Broadway musical), but a living legend. Mos Def has been cast to play Chuck Berry, the controversial inventor of the duck walk. Adrien Brody also signed on to portray Leonard Chess, a Polish Jew that helped Muddy Water and Willie Dixon famous in the 1950s.
So far, it just looks like everyone is playing to their strengths. Mos Def and Beyonce are playing music artists that struggled and eventually became famous, while Adrien Brody is playing a Polish Jew, a role that under Roman Polanski, earned him an Oscar, and a siezed chance to kiss Halle Berry. Yes, I will be seeing this movie, but I'm unconvinced that it will be as good as Dreamgirls, or as bad as That Thing You Do!.
